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Comparing how long it takes planets to orbit the sun.

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4.

Using the table sort how long it takes of each planet to orbit the sun
Order from shortest to longest time
Include the name of the planet and how long an orbit takes
Answer question

Data on the eight planets in our Solar System


Planet

Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto

Average
distance from
the sun (in
millions of km)
58
108
150
228
778
1,427
2,870
4,497

Approximate
year lengths (in
Earth units)

Approximate
day length (in
Earth units)

Diameter

88 days
225 days
1 year
686 days
12 years
30 years
84 years
165 years
248 years

176 days
243 days
1 day
25 hours
10 hours
10 hours
17 hours
18 hours

4,879km
12,100km
12,756km
6,780km
142,984km
120,540km
51,118km
49,528km

Source: Australian government. (2012). Primary Connections: Earth's place in Space - Year
5. Australia: Australian Academy of Science.

Answer the following


Does
Is it
How

questions:

it take longer for Uranus to orbit the Sun or


Mercury?
shorter for Earth to orbit the Sun or Venus?
many years does it take Mars to orbit the Sun?

Students place planets next to name.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Mercury - 88 days
Venus 225 days
Earth 1 year
Mars - 686 days
Jupiter 12 years
Saturn 30 years
Uranus 84 years
Neptune -165 years
Pluto 248 years

1. Does it take longer for Uranus to orbit the Sun or Mercury?


No Uranus takes 84 years and Mercury only take 88 days.
2. Is it shorter for Earth to orbit the Sun or Venus?
Earth because it only takes 1 year and Venus takes 225 days.
3. How many years does it take Mars to orbit the Sun?
It takes 1.87 years for Mars to orbit the sun.

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